


That's Not Santa

by DebbieF



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen, Takes place around season 7 or after & involves a downsized four and a half year old Daniel Jackson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-18 04:56:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21772081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DebbieF/pseuds/DebbieF
Summary: Meant for this to be a ficlet but it became just slightly more. Hope everyone enjoys it and Merry Christmas!Disclaimer: Nope, nada... sadly I never owned them.++++
Relationships: Jack O'Neill is Daniel Jackson's guardian
Comments: 12
Kudos: 12
Collections: Kidfic Headquarter





	That's Not Santa

"That's not Santa," whispered four and a half, nearly five, year old Daniel. Leaning his head against his guardian's shoulder, he felt Jack sigh deeply.

"Why do you think that, kiddo?" Placing a kiss on top of the boy's head, Jack got a better grip on the tiny body. Boy Daniel sure was a light weight for his age. The kid had all the appearance of being much younger than he now was. Forehead covered with long, blond bangs nearly covering startling blue eyes, this tiny version was melting hearts all over the SGC.

"Just know." Scrunching his face up, Daniel glanced sideways at Jack's perturbed expression. "Could we go somewhere else?"

This had been the third place where Saint Nick was supposed to be, greeting children and handing out gifts. Jack didn't know whether it was worth it or not to try again. His friend had always been way too smart for his own good. This time around, Daniel wasn't much better.

"Ya know Santa Claus has a busy schedule this time of year, Danny. This might be your last chance to see him before Christmas." Watching the little one's head turn to look back at him Jack could just see those small cogs rotating around in his munchkin's head, working overtime as usual.

"Rather go home." A thumb slowly creeped up toward Daniel's mouth, until a much larger hand stopped its motion. Scowling, he noticed Jack rolling his eyes.

Offering his charge a slightly goofy expression, eyes crinkling up at the corners, he grinned. "What have I told you about doing that?" Not upset, Jack understood what had caused the kid's reaction.

"I'm not supposed to." Arms firmly wrapped around Jack's neck, Daniel snuggled in for a warm hug.

"You only start doing that when you're uncertain about something or nervous." Bouncing the child in his arms a few times, until the kid began to giggle, Jack squeezed the boy tightly to his chest.

"Wanted to meet the _real_ Saint Nicholas, Jack... not an imitation."

Oddest thing about the boy's accidental downsizing, which the Tokra _promised_ to help them with, but his very young friend seemed to be a mixture of kid and adult. Jack never knew what would pop out of the shrimp's mouth. Sometimes it was downright embarrassing. Adult Daniel knew very well that the legend of Father Christmas was exactly that... a _legend_. Yet short stuff kept surprising him, believing in the ole jolly one. "Tell ya what. I've gotta stop at the mountain to pick up some reports."

Satisfaction filled Jack at the beaming, tiny face turned toward him. "You can visit with the rest of the gang while I do that." Having boosted his chipmunk's spirits, he had an ulterior motive behind his words. Jack had deliberately kept secret from Daniel that Santa was paying a special visit at the base. Of course General Hammond always had the honors of stepping into the red suit. He'd just hoped that the kid didn't remember that part or would at least play along since the boy would be around family.

"Maybe I could help Sam with her project." Contemplating how he could do that, Daniel began thinking of ways that he could help her. That was until Jack's finger waggled in his face.

" _Aht!_ None of that today, Danny." Greeted with an adorable pout, Jack stayed firm. "Behave." Listening to the kid's grumbles nearly made him give in. Turning around they headed back to his SUV.

++++

_A short time later - Cheyenne Mountain Complex_

Daniel had had fun visiting with everyone and only poked his nose in Sam's project once to give her, what he thought was, a pretty good suggestion. Then Jack had whisked him away to head down to the cafeteria. "Did you get your reports?"

"Uh huh." Tugging on the boy's hand, Jack had to shorten his stride to match Daniel's. "Found out that the _big guy's_ here handing out presents to the kids of base personnel."

Frowning, scrunching up his face once more, Daniel gripped Jack's hand hard as they both stepped inside the cafeteria which resembled a winter wonderland. It truly felt like you were at the North Pole, though Daniel new differently. Observing chattering children around his age and a little older gather around Saint Nick, he glanced back up at his guardian and pouted again. "That's not Santa."

" _Forcryinoutloud!_ " Jack muttered to no one in particular. "Can't you at least go with the flow and pretend it is?"

Stubbornly shaking his head back and forth, Daniel crossed his arms to stare his older friend in the eyes. It appeared they were at an impasse, until Walter's voice came over the speaker system announcing an unscheduled off-world activation.

O'Neill waved at Hammond to let the general know he was on it. Leaving Daniel with Lacy, the head honcho of the cafeteria workers, he headed for the control room. What O'Neill wouldn't know, until shortly later, was with all the children milling about that Lacy would somehow lose track of his kid.

++++

_Control Room_

Placing a hand on Walter's shoulder, O'Neill leaned down. "What have we got?"

"All I can tell you so far, Colonel, is that we have tried but can't shut the gate down." Concern showed in Walter's face, even as he tried to be professional. "Whatever's coming is on its way and we can't stop it."

Noting all the gate personnel were armed and ready for action, O'Neill went straight down to the embarkation area. Having appropriately armed himself, he stood at the base of the ramp. However when their visitor stepped through the blue puddle, his jaw dropped.

"Now _that's_ Santa Claus," said a little voice.

Shaken out of his shock, Jack glanced downward. Sure enough, there stood his peanut grinning from ear to ear as if the kid had won a humongous lottery. "You're not supposed to be here," he snapped in irritation.

Pointing to the man dressed in a bright cherry red and white trimmed suit, Daniel retorted, "I guess _he_ shouldn't be here either."

Studying his surroundings, Kris Kringle's gaze came to rest on the tiny boy that was studying him in equal measure. Breaking out into jolly laughter, he chortled, "I always get a lot of mileage out of the Stargate system. Saves wear and tear on Rudolph and my other lead reindeer." Kneeling down to be on the child's level, Kris reached out to tap the boy's nose. "Do I measure up after your day of disappointments, Daniel?"

Bobbing his head up and down Daniel went to sit on Santa's lap, after the large man sat down at the bottom of the ramp.

" _Now wait a darn minute!_ " interrupted O'Neill. "Who the heck are you?"

"Do you usually get many visitors dressed up like this, Colonel O'Neill?" Kris' eyes were merry and bright, as he asked his question. Seemed like the colonel was at a loss for words. Kris got that a lot. 

Scratching at the back of his head, O'Neill's face was pained. "You're telling me that you are really _Santa Claus_?" He had to admit that this stranger knew who they were but they had met other aliens that also had good intel.

"Sometimes, Colonel, you have to _believe_." Smiling down at the small boy, Kris tipped Daniel's chin up. "What makes you believe in me, little one?"

"I just do," Daniel whispered, laying his head against Santa's heart.

"The one thing I want to give you is not within my power to grant." Reaching into a small red pouch, attached to his belt, Kris retrieved a sparkling jewel. About to place it in the child's hand, he hesitated when the colonel stepped forward.

"Be advised that I don't consider that a wise move, _Santa_." O'Neill could have cared less that his voice dripped sarcasm. As far as he was concerned this man was an unknown alien who appeared to know too much about them.

"As I was going to say," holding up the jewel to the light, it began to glow softly, "I can't change Daniel back to adulthood but the Ancient ones that gave me this charged me to deliver it to him."

"Yeah," O'Neill snarked. "How's it supposed to work. I mean is it like Dorothy's red shoes?" Expecting the alien not to have understood his words, O'Neill was stunned at the other man's response.

"For a human of keen intellect you are constantly full of surprises, Colonel." Laughing, Kris' entire body shook making young Daniel bounce along with him. "Your Wizard of Oz references have become legendary." Bending his head, he whispered to the boy, "Sort of like me." When the child giggled, Kris hugged him.

"So I'm spoken about around the alien water cooler?" Not sure how he felt over that, O'Neill decided to take it as a compliment. "Back to that whatchamacallit you were handing Danny. What's it supposed to do?"

"I assumed it would help him return back to normal but only a certain few of the Others could help him." Standing back up, Daniel cradled in his arms, Kris smiled down at the boy. "Life's not been kind to you, young one, but being like this has given you a second chance to enjoy the childhood that was brutally snatched away." Kissing the top of Daniel's head, he smiled. "Enjoy it while it lasts." Placing the youngster back down, Kris looked back over at the soldier. "You should think about investing in reindeer, Colonel O'Neill." His eyes sparkled with mirth. "They save a heck of a lot on gas." Stepping back on the ramp, he began to head toward the blue horizon. "Oh, Daniel, you'll find something extra special just for you on Christmas day."

As Jack and Daniel both watched Santa disappear through the Stargate, the jolly man's ho ho ho's could be heard until the device winked out.

"Sir," Walter's voice echoed throughout the embarkation room. When Colonel O'Neill turned to look back up at him, he asked, "What just happened?"

"Good ole Saint Nick just paid us a visit, Walter, and gave Danny a gift from the Ancients." Picking the scamp up, O'Neill was going to the general's office to inform Hammond on what had taken place. But first he'd stop at Carter's lab."

++++

_General Hammond's office_

Having removed his Santa get-up, Hammond listened to the colonel's story. "What do you really think about all of this?"

"You should ask Danny about that, Sir," said O'Neill. "All day long the kid kept telling me that none of the Santas we saw were the real deal until this guy stepped through our gate... go figure."

"Has that jewel been examined yet because if it poses a threat to Earth, this base or Daniel I want it tossed right back through the Stargate?" Theirs was the first line of defense against alien attack and Hammond's responsibility. Someone dressing up as Saint Nicholas wouldn't cut any ice with him, if the alien meant them harm.

"Carter can't find a thing wrong with it and gave it back to Daniel." O'Neill glanced over to where the boy was sitting listening to their conversation. "He's certainly not scared of it."

"Gee whiz, Jack, haven't you figured it out yet?" Rolling his blue eyes, Daniel began to giggle while holding up the jewel that Sam had returned to him. "Santa is an _Ancient_ and I guess after I've enjoyed my time as a little kid again I can be upsized."

Both older men just stood there dumbfounded, looking at each other.

"It makes sense," Hammond murmured, rubbing at the top of his balding head. "Well, Colonel, looks like young Daniel is still held in high regards by the Others regardless of what's taken place in the past." Curious as to the strange look passing over his second-in-command's face, Hammond tapped the other man's arm to gain his attention. "What's wrong?"

"Before he left Santa told Danny he was going to leave something special for the kid on Christmas."

"As long as it isn't one of his reindeer I don't think you have a thing to worry about." Chuckling, Hammond went back to writing his report on what had occurred today. The big wigs at the Pentagon were going to have a field day at this latest encounter.

As Jack and Daniel left the general's office, Jack ruffled the boy's hair. "Guess the Ancients aren't done with you yet, kiddo."

"I think it's cool that Saint Nicholas is an Ancient." Skipping ahead of his guardian, Daniel now couldn't wait for Christmas to come. As long as Santa didn't leave him a reindeer, he figured anything else would just be the cherry on the cake.

The End


End file.
